How fire scientists see through flames

Researchers have figured out how to see through flames: it just takes blue LED theater lights, a camera filter, and a research facility where you can light test buildings on fire.

The scientists tasked with understanding how fire destroys structures and devours our possessions need to watch these things burn — in the laboratory, that is. This research is key for keeping people safe, but it’s not easy: there’s soot, there’s smoke, and there are the flames to contend with. The smoke and soot are easier to deal with: researchers can use less smoky fuels like natural gas when they test how things hold up to fire. Now, research published in the journal Fire Technology gives scientists a way to see through the flames, too — by shining blue...

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